Youth Transitioning From Foster CareRealistic Expectations
October 6, 2010
TOGETHER WE CAN CONFERENCE 2010
Lafayette Hilton
1521 W. Pinhook Road
Lafayette, LA 70503
Carmen E. Spooner, MSW, GSW
Karen Grant, MSW, LCSW
Louisiana Department of Children and
Family Services
WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO?
VIDEO
• Louisiana Foster Care: An Introduction
• Produced by the Louisiana Bar
Association, Children’s Law Committee
• www.lsba.org/fostercare
6%
• Percent of U.S. teens ages 16 to
19 not in school and not high
school graduates
• Louisiana ranks (47th)
• Bottom 10% along with Alaska,
Nevada, and New Mexico
•
Source: The Annie E. Casey Foundation 2010 Kids Count Data Book
50%
45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
Males
Females
Both
Want
Under
Adoption Employed
Victims
Jailed
Homeless
5
Many foster care youth face serious
problems, such as homelessness,
incarceration, victimization, early
pregnancy, parenting, underemployment
and unemployment
“It takes a village to raise a child”
African Proverb
“We learn mostly from those closest to us in our daily lives”. (Daniel
Brannen 2005)
Elders:
-
Model appropriate adult behaviors
Mentor youth so that they are able to step into their
age-appropriate roles
- Reinforce behaviors that are consistent with their social mores
- Allow for natural consequences
WHO ARE THE ELDERS IN OUR
FOSTER YOUTH’S VILLAGES
• PARENTS
• SOCIAL WORKERS
• LAWYERS
• JUDGES
• CASA
• CARETAKERS/DIRECT CARE STAFF
• INDEPENDENT LIVING PROVIDERS
In essence, everyone who touches the youth’s life
WHO WE NEED
“We must expect and demand from our village that any person working
with teenagers, 13 and older, such as foster care workers, foster
parents, group home staff, advocates and transitional staff be
trained in adolescent development and in delivering developmentally
appropriate life skill training.
The foster care milieu for teens needs to be entrenched with villagers
who want to work with teens and who are trained to know how to
best work with them. (Daniel Brannen 2005)
WHAT WE KNOW
It has been estimated that up to 60% of
children in foster care experience some
type of developmental delay
Reality: Society expects 18 year olds to
function independently. Developmentally
our former foster youth are functioning in
the early adolescence and middle
adolescence stages and are not ready to
live independently without supports.
According to Kools, 1997, premature
launching into independent living generally
occurs before the adolescent is
developmentally ready, for this system
imposed milestone.
No youth is going to be placed
against his/her will, but "NO" does not
mean, "I don't want or need help“.
They need to own the process and to
be
involved every step of the way.
Adolescents & Families for Life
14
WHEN AND HOW DO WE START
PREPARING OUR YOUTH FOR THEIR
FUTURE?
- Start as early as possible, but no later than age 14
- Communicate and start goal setting conversations
- Begin where the youth is, no idea or dream is thrown
out. All ideas are explored
- Provide opportunities for youth to shadow adults in the
careers where they show an interest
- Identify permanency connections
WHERE ARE WE NOW?
• Louisiana has a voluntary program for
former foster youth who age out of care
Young Adult Program
YAP
Young Adult Program (YAP)
- Voluntary Program to assist in completing
educational or vocational training
- Youth may remain in YAP until age 21
- A YAP educational/vocational plan will need to
completed within 30 days of youth’s 18th birthday
- Youth MUST meet eligibility criteria to be eligible
for the Young Adult Program
DCFS supported 347 Young Adults via
staff support and state and federal
dollars direct spending ( 2009-2010
FFY)
•
YOUTH WHO ARE IN SCHOOL FULL
TIME
–HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA
–GED
–POST-SECONDARY
YOUTH WHO ARE IN SCHOOL PART-TIME
– PART-TIME EDUCATION AND PART-TIME
WORK=40 HRS
ANYONE WHO DOES NOT FIT IN
THE AFOREMENTIONED
CATEGORIES
 1201
Number of youth who received Chafee
Independent Living Services 2009-2010
FFY
Chafee Educational and Training
Vouchers
(ETV)
1) Former OJJ and DCFS youth who:
• - were in care at age 18
• - were adopted after age 16
• - guardianship transferred to a relative
(kin) after age 16
2) Enrolled in a post-secondary education
institution
3) May receive up to a maximum of $5000
per academic year
4)You may receive an ETV whether you
participate in YAP or not.
5)You may remain in the ETV program up to
the age of 23, if you are in school at age
21 and progressing satisfactorily.
6) ETV funds are available in other states
through federal Chafee grants
 347
Chafee Education and Training Vouchers
Issued 2009-2010 FFY to Louisiana youth
 $2977.53
Average amount of Education and Training
Vouchers issued 2009-2010 to Louisiana
youth
WHAT OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE TO
OUR YOUTH TO ADVOCATE FOR
THEMSELVES
Louisiana Youth Leadership Advisory Council (LYLAC)
Statewide board of active foster youth and young
adults
 20 members, 9 Regions
 Ages 16 – 21
Stakeholder membership on National, Regional, State,
and local planning committees
SERVICES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO
LOUISIANA’S YOUNG ADULTS
SNAP – DCFS Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program
Child Care Assistance
WHERE ARE WE GOING
 Updating Policy
NYTD Study kicked off October 1, 2010
Increased involvement of foster youth in
the planning stages of programs
Increase awareness of youth
programming
Increase awareness of resources
available to youth
CHAFEE INDEPENDENT LIVING
PROVIDERS
REGION I (Orleans)
Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans
Independent Living Skills Program
1150 Barataria Blvd.
Marrero, LA 70072
Judy Potter, Administrator
PHONE: (504) 340-5100 FAX: (504)347-0095
EMAIL: judyilsp@archdiocese-no.org
REGION II (Baton Rouge)
Quad Area Community Action Agency, Inc.
Independent Living Skills Program
45300 North Batiste Road
Hammond, LA 70401
Sidney Monroe, Program Director
PHONE: (225) 567-2350, ext. 207 FAX: (225) 567-2636
EMAIL: sidneymo@quadyouth.org
REGION III (Covington)
Southeastern Louisiana University
Independent Living Program
Cardinal Newman Hall – Room 105
SLU 10669
Hammond, LA 70402
Linda Isaac, Project Coordinator
PHONE: (985) 549-2582 FAX:(985) 549-3758
E-MAIL: linda.isaac@selu.edu
REGION IV (Thibodaux)
Gulf Coast Teaching Family Services, Inc.
Independent Living Program
2509 Petroleum Drive
Houma, LA 70363
Stephanie Ward, Program Director
PHONE: (985) 853-1445 FAX: (985) 853-0709
E-MAIL: sward@gctfs.org
REGION V (Lafayette)
Gulf Coast Teaching Family Services, Inc.
Independent Living Program
515 South College Road, Suite 260
Lafayette, LA 70503
Rick Dawes, Program Director (ext. 25)
PHONE: (337) 269-1165 FAX: (337) 235-1961
E-MAIL: ilp@gctfs.org (Rick Dawes and all ILSP Staff)
REGION VI (Lake Charles)
Youth Services of Southwest Louisiana
Independent Living Program
2000 Southwood Drive
Lake Charles, LA 70605
Brenda LaFleur, Director
PHONE: (337) 474-2682 FAX: (337) 474-4601
E-MAIL: blafleur@aol.com
REGION VII (Alexandria)
Family Counseling Agency, Inc.
Independent Living Program
P.O. Box 1908
Alexandria, LA 71309
Henry Marsland, IL Coordinator
PHONE: (318) 448-0284 FAX: (318) 448-0280
E-MAIL: famcounsel@aol.com (Henry Marsland)
REGION VIII (Shreveport)
REGION IX (Monroe)
Goodwill
800 W. 70th Street
Shreveport, LA 71104
Julie Bass, Program Director
PHONE: (318) 868-4701 FAX: (318) 868-4936
E-MAIL: julieb@goodwillnla.org
Methodist Children’s Home
Independent Living Program
Street Address:
Mailing Address:
901 South Vienna
P.O. Box 929
Ruston, LA 71270
Ruston, LA 71273-0929
Angie Thomas, IL DIR
PHONE: (318) 255-3717 FAX: (318) 513-2096
E-Mail: angie.thomas@lmch.org
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American Bar Association Center on Children & the Law
The Children’s Bureau, US Department of Health & Human
Services
Child Welfare League of America
The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute
National Adoption Information Clearinghouse
National Court Appointed Special Advocate Association
(CASA)
National Resource Center for Special Needs Adoption
National Resource Center for Youth Services
National Resource Center for Permanency Planning
North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC)
NRC
Adolescents & Families for Life:
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3.3
American Association of Retired Persons Grandparents
Information Center
American Bar Association Center on Children & the Law
The Children’s Bureau, US Department of Health & Human
Services
Child Welfare League of America
The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute
Jane Addams School of Social Work, University. of Illinois
National Adoption Information Clearinghouse
National Court Appointed Special Advocate Association (CASA)
National Resource Center for Special Needs Adoption
National Resource Center for Youth Services
National Resource Center for Foster Care & Permanency
Planning
Adolescents & Families for Life: A
Toolkit For Supervisors©
36
Financial Aid Websites
• National directory to locate financial aid offices:
www.finaid.org/otheraid/fao.phtml
• Attendance costs for specific schools
http://apps.collegeboard.com/search
• Scholarships, loans, financial aid planning, &
portals to all federal financial aid websites:
www.ed.gov/students
• Develop & plan, “Types of Aid” Financial Aid
resources: www.iseek.org
www.collegesummit.org/nete
• Chaffee ETV contacts
– www.nrcys.ou.edu
– www.statevoucher.org
– www.fyi3.com/education
SCHOLARSHIP WEBSITES
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www.college-scholarships.com
www.orphan.org
www.orangewoodfoundation.org/programs
www.nfpainc.org
SCHOLARSHIP SEARCHES
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www.fastweb.com
www.collegeboard.com
www.srnexpress.com
www.finaid.org/scholarships
– Students with disabilities
– DISABILITIES AND GIFTED
• www.ericec.org
SCHOLARSHIPS FOR
MINORITIES
AFRICAN AMERICANS
AMERICAN INDIANS
ASIAN AMERICANS & PACIFIC ISLANDERS
HISPANICS
GAYS, LESBIANS, BI-SEXUALS,
AND TRANSGENDERS
WEBSITES
• www.jobsinlouisiana.com
• www.laworks.net
– Youth works
• www.online.onetcenter.org
• www.jan.wvu.edu
– Job accommodation network
• www.yourtickettowork.com
DCFS Contacts
Andrew Wilson (318) 676-7100
Carmen E. Spooner (225)342-4121
Christy Tate (225) 342-4447
D’Juannia Judge (225) 342Karen Grant (225) 342-3936
Linda Rainey (225) 342-5676
Shelia Madison (225) 342-4060
Foster Care Unit Administrator
Toni S. Buxton (225) 342-4006